FIRE!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday morning began as a usual Sunday would for me... I forced myself out of bed (I am SO not a morning person!) and into the shower. I did my normal getting ready routine: brush teeth, try to find an outfit, do my hair, pluck my eyebrows, go back to the closet because I still haven't picked what I'm going to wear, get dressed, do makeup and then drive to church. It all felt pretty normal, like an ordinary day. But there was something different in the air... I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was different!

I sat in the church sanctuary waiting for service to begin, thinking about how hungry I was lol, and then worship started. I love worship... I'm sure I have said that many times before, but worship holds a very special place in my heart. So I stood there in awe of the Lord and His sacrifice and His power and His love for me. But that still felt pretty normal, nothing extraordinary seemed to occur. 

One of our pastors then got up to welcome everyone and have us greet each other. I love this time in our service, the excitement of us all seeing each other and getting/giving hugs, it puts a smile on my face. After announcements our Pastor got up to preach. He spoke about our friend, Holy Spirit! 

I love Holy Spirit! I love learning new things about Him. I love hanging out with Him. I love when I hear Him speaking to me! The day I met Him, I was forever changed. And it wasn't about any particular gift that He offered me, it was about the transformation He brought in my life! I can now be more effective in ministry and life because He's with me. I truly love Him, and I don't tell Him that enough!

With that being said, I get really excited when people around me start desiring Holy Spirit to come and fill them! It pumps me up to know that someone else is going to be able to be more effective in this earth for furthering the Kingdom of God! So when our Pastor asked us all to stand and ask for Holy Spirit to come be with us, live in us, use us... I was ecstatic! But then he called forth the children and teenagers, and I knew, in that moment I knew what was different about the day! The Lord was getting ready to fill and release a generation to their purpose!

I work with the youth group at our church, I am around teens more than I'm not lol. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes I think, "man, I need to get some friends my own age!" But my best friend and I were talking last week about how blessed we are that in this season of life we don't have to worry about caring for a family and so we are able to freely give our time and attention to these kids who WILL change this world! We get to help them grow and mature but we also get to enjoy them and their WIDE VARIETY of personalities. We get to help pull out gifts in them that they may not even see yet and speak life into them when they are struggling, knowing that these are the things the Lord will us to shake a nation. We are blessed to get to share life with students who long for the Lord! I'm truly honored that they allow me in!

But back to Sunday morning... as our Pastor called the kids forth I expected that it would take a little pushing to get them to go to the front, but when I lifted my head and opened my eyes I saw the front of the church FILLED with children ranging from babies to teenagers about to graduate. There was a desperation and it was felt across the sanctuary. As I sat there praying for Holy Spirit to have His way, my eyes began to swell with tears and I caught myself saying this over and over again: "Lord, if you will fill these kids overflowing this world can't help but be changed! If you will fill them to overflowing, their families won't be able to stay the same!" 

I know it may not have seemed like a big thing happened because there weren't people laid out on the floor or people taking laps around the church, but something shifted yesterday! I saw kids who I personally know have been struggling, I saw them lift their eyes to Jesus in a new way, with a new longing! I feel like a new perspective was giving yesterday and a new passion... a passion for His glory to be released through them in this earth! AHHHH!!! COME ON HOLY ONE!!!

Lord, I am in awe of Your wondrous hand! Though I may not see Your moving at every moment I know without a shadow of a doubt that You are worthy of praise! I thank You for allowing me to be a part of that moment yesterday morning where You changed lives and called these students to higher places! Thank You for allowing me to be a part of their lives! I ask that You would be their protection and their strength to stand upon You and Your word! May the same power that raised You from the dead Jesus, may it overflow out of them... ALL FOR YOUR GLORY! Amen